Automatic office-addresser.



' vu. 6. LEE. v AUTOMATIC OFFICE ADDRESSER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. I913. RENEWED SEPT. I7, I915.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 m: nunm: rxrnps ca. Puamumo WASHING mu. 0 cv U. G. LEE.

AUTOMATIC OFFICE ADDRESSER.

APPLICATION FILED- MAY 29, 1913. RENEWED SEPT. 17. I915.

m1 5,M0. Patented Fem, 1917. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

r f I States #982,076, January 17, 1911.

llhlTT eras rarnrar rmcn ULYSSES GRANT LEE, OF OI-IATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO MONTAGUE MAIL- ING- MACHINERY (30., A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

AUTOMATIC OFFICE-ADDRESSER.

Application filed May 29, 1913, Serial No. 770,784.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ULYSSES GRANT LEE, citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auto matic Oflice-Addressers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to addressing appat s of the manually operated type, and includes means for automatically feeding individual address plates from the operation of the impression head, together with means for changing the feed of the address plates so that they will be fed automatically at every second operation of the printing head or impression arm, or at every third opera tion of said impression arm.

The invention consists in the features of construction and arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine em bodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view.-

Figs. 3 and 4 are details.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detailsof the controlling mechanism for making duplicate or triplicate impressions;

Fig. 8 shows a ratchet in detail.

In these drawings, 1 indicates a hopper in which the individual address plates are stored one upon the other, and 2 indicates a feed chain which has projections thereon, as indicated at 3, Fig. 2, for engaging the lowermost address plate of the pile in the hopper 1, to move it along'the runway 4, the projections on'the chain engaging one of the depressed margins of the address plate, which are of the hlontague type illustrated, for instance, in Letters Patent of the United This feed chain moves the address plate step by step to the printing point indicated at A, and beneath an inking ribbon 5 extending over the address plate at this point and from the impression point the feed m mb r livers the plates into a receptacle at the left of Fig. 1. The ends of the inking ribbon being turned rearwardly at the points 6, are wound on spools 7 at the rear of the machine, which spools are mounted onshafts 8, 9, which are arranged in alinement with each other, and which are operated as will be hereinafter described. The rear- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917..

Renewed September 17, 1915. Serial No. 51,288.

wardly extending portions of the ribbon pass beneath the paper receiving surface of the table. The impressions are made by placing the article to be addressed or printed over the impression point at A, so that by bringing down the impression head 10 the impression will be made through the ribbon from the address plate upon the envelop or other article. The impression head is manually operated, and in the form shown it is'provided with a handle 11. The impression head is mounted upon an arm 12 the hub of which is fixed to a shaft 1% mounted in suitable hearings in the frame. Connectmn from this impression arm is made to the plate feeding chain 2 through the following mechanism: An arm 15 eX- tends from the hub 13 of the impression arm having a roller thereon engaging a groove 16 in a crank 17 fixed on the shaft 18 journaled in the bearings 19 under the main frame the said shaft having a beveled gear 20 thereon meshing with a beveled gear 21 mounted loosely on a shaft 22 which has fixed thereto one of the sprocket wheels marked 23 about which the endless feed tion and the pawl 25 will be advanced, en-

gaging its ratchet and turning the shaft 22. The pawl 25 is pivotally mounted on a block or drum 36 which is fixed to the gear 21 to have rotary reciprocating movement therewith. Combined with the drum I employ means for controlling the action of the pawl. so that it may be rendered effective for feeding the address plates each time the impression head is operated or at every second action or at every third impression action. This mechanism is similar in all essential respects to that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States 45:1,014h782, granted to me January 16, 1912. This mechanism comprises a ring a loosely associated with the pawl carrying block or drum 36 having two rims or flanges one of which has two notches diametrically opposite each other, and the other of which has three notches spaced 120 degrees apart, these notches being adapted to be engaged by a pawl G pivoted to the frame at 37 and adapted to be shifted so that its tooth will engage either the rim having the two notches or the rim having the three notches. This ring in the present form of my inven tion, like that in the patent is loose in respect to both the drum and its shaft. It has an extension reaching into the drum provided with a recess 38 to receive the point of the pawl 25 and allow it to fall into engagement with the ratchet. The ring is carried around with the drum 36 by frictional engagement with the moving parts when the drmn is rotated backward onthe idle stroke of the pawl, i. e. in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2. The movement is a half revolution in the arrow direction for each downward stroke of the impression head. Now when the pawl or detent G is engaging the two notched rim, said ring a? will be held, resulting in a displacement of said ring a half revolution in relation to the pawl carrying drum each time the impression head is moved down, and the idle stroke of the pawl and its drum are given their idle stroke, so that at every second downward movement of the impression head the recess 38 of the ring a? will be brought under the point of the pawl 25, and this pawl, on its stroke to the right in Fig. 2, will then move the shaft 22 and the plate feed one step to feed the plates. The neXt time the impression head is moved down the drum 36 and its pawl will be moved back on their idle stroke a half revolution, but the ring a will be held by the detent G, and thus displaced relatively to the pawl 25 a half revolution, so that the plain periphery of the ring a will be presented to the pawl instead of the recess 38, and when the pawl now advances due to the spring 27 returning, the impression arm and the connections described, this stroke of the pawl will be ineffective and the feed chain will remain at rest to permit a second impression being taken from the plate at the impression point.

Now, by simply shifting the detent to engage the three notched rim of the ring a the said ring will be displaced relatively to the pawl 25 only 120 degrees at each action of the impression head or arm, and the recess 38 will be presented to the pawl to allow it to perform its work at each third action of the said head. Of course it will be understood that the ring a is rotated on its free stroke by frictional engagement with the moving parts, and on these strokes it makes a half revolution, and when the detent G is engaging the three notch ring the notches will overthrow the tooth of the detent through an angle equal to sixty degrees, but on its reverse movement the pawl will engage and hold the ring, resulting in a displacement relative to the pawl 25 of sixty degrees at each action of the impression 5 arm. It will be understood that the spring 27 while connected to the impression arm, is in effect the means for advancing the drum 36 and pawl on their effective strokes.

The detent may be adjusted to engage either the two-notch rim or the three-notch rim of the ring (6 or to be disengaged from both. of said rims, in which latter case a feed of address plates will take place for each action of the impression head. holding the detent in any of its several positions, I provide a plate 40 as shown in Fig. 3. lVhen the detent is held by its end resting in the notch 39 of the locking plate, the detent will engage the two-notch rim of the ring (1?; when in the notch 42 it will engage the three-notch rim, and when in For the notch ll it will be out of engagement 1 with both rims.

The inking ribbon mechanism is also operated from the impression arm, this taking place each time that said arm is operated, and preferably while the arm is rising. For this purpose the shaft 14 has a crank pin 28 connected therewith for operating a pawl 29 which has a tooth to engage either one of the ratchets 30, 31, connected to shafts 9, 8, respectively according as the pawl is shifted laterally from one position to another. In. Fig. 1 the pawl is shown as guided through the right hand notch 32 of a guide plate, and in this position it will operate the ratchet 31 and turn the shaft 8 to wind the ribbon onto the spool? at the right of Fig. 1, whereas if the pawl is shifted into the left hand notch 33, it will engage and operate the ratchet 30, together with the shaft 9, and the ribbon will wind on the left hand spool of Fig. 1. These spools may be fixed to their respective shafts in any suitable manner, as by the pivoted locking pieces 34L. In order to operate the feed chain by hand for the purpose of skipping address plates without printing them, I provide a knob 35 on the shaft 22. By turning this knob the feed chain will move the plates past the printing point while the impression arm remains at rest. Any suitable form of guide may be employed at 36 against'which the articles to be addressed may be placed. It will be seen from the above description that both the feeding of the address plates and the feeding of the inking ribbon are dependent upon the operation of a manually manipulated impression arm, which in the present *case is operated by hand, and furthermore,

it will be seen that by a slight adjustment the machine may be set so that the feed of plates will take place after ea h action o the impression arm, or after every other action of the impression arm, or after every third action of the impression arm. Furthermore, that the feeding of the plates may take place Without operating the impression arm at all, the latter being accomplished by simply turning the knob 35.

It will be noticed that the impression arm is pivoted off to one side of the transverse plane in which the impression head lies and works, or in other words at one side of the table which receives the articles to be printed, and for this purpose the. arm is curved laterally from the head to the hub 13. This leaves the table in rear of the impression point entirely free and unobstructed, and the guide 36 may be adjusted to various positions, holes being shown at L3 for receiving the set screws fl, which hold the guide. The construction described leaves the table free for any other desired use.

The lflll'llGSSiOH arm stands at about an angle of 45 degrees in relation to the table when in normal position.

Reverting to the hand operating knob 35, l arrange upon the shaft of this knob a feeler disk L0 provided with notches to be engaged by a. spring detent ell. This will. serve to prevent overthrow of the address plates, and this feeler or ret-arder will also perform its function when the address plate feeder is operated automatically. A spring pressed retarding roller may be also employed as at 42 adjacent the runway to bear on the address plates.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination in a printing apparatus, a hand operated impression arm pivotally mounted and having a handle at its free end, a table having a straight runway for individual printing plates, a plate hopper and a receiver at opposite ends of said straight runway, a feeder for the individual printing plates operating along said straight runway and moving in a plane at rightangles to the plane of pivotal movement of the impression arm, and a connection from the pivoted end of the impression arm to the plate feeder for operating the same, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a printing apparatus, a table, a hand operated impression arm pivotally mounted and having a handle at its free end. a hopper and receiver for in dividual printing plates supported by the said table, a runway on the table for the individual printing plates extendinw straight from the hopper to the receiver, a printing plate feeder operating along said straight runway and moving in a plane at right angles to the plane of pivotal movement of the impression arm and a connection from said impression arm to the printing plate feeder for operating the same, said connection including an arm extending from the axis of the impression arm and lying beneath the plane of the upper surface of the table and moving in a plane transverse to the plate feeder with means for transmitting the movement of said arm to the plate feeder, substantially as described.

3. In combination in an addressing machine, a manually operated impression arm pivotally mounted, having a handle at its free end, a hopper and a receiver for individual printing plates, a table supporting said hopper and receiver, a runway extending along said table straight from the hopper to the receiver, a printing plate feeder operating along said straight runway and moving in a plane at right angles to the plane of pivotal movement of the impression arm and a connection from said impression arm to the printing plate feeder for operating the same, said commotion in eluding an arm reaching from the axis of the ii'npression arm and lying beneath the plane of the n nier surface of the table and moving in a plane transverse to the said plate feeder with means for transmitting the movement of said arm to the said plate feeder, said means including a crank member operated by the said arm, substantially as described.

l. in combination a frame, a pivoted impression arm with means for manually operating the same, a runway for the address plates extending transversely of the plane in which the impression arm works, an end less feed chain operating along the runway, a shaft beneath the frame extending paral 101 with the plate feeding chain, a connection between the pivoted impression arm and the said shaft transmitting the movement of said arm to said shaft, a cross shaft geared to the first shaft, and pawl and ratchet mechanism for transmitting the movement of the shafts to the plate feed chain to move it step by step in one direction.

5. In combination a frame, a pivotally mounted impression arm with means for operating it manually, a runway for individual address plates extending transversely of the plane in which the impression arm operates, an address plate feeder operating along the runway, an inking ribbon extending over the runway at the impression point, and having its ends extending rearwardly, ribbon spools, a connection for operating the ribbon spools from the pivoted end of the impression arm, and a connection for operating the address plate feeder from the said pivoted end of the impression arm, substantially as described.

6. In combination a frame. a pivotally mounted impression arm with means for operating it manually, a runway for indi vidual address plates extending transversely of the plane in which the impression arm operates, an address plate feeder operating along the runway, an inking ribbon extending over the runway at the impression point, and having its ends extending rearwardly, ribbon spools, spool shafting, a connection for operating the ribbon spools from the pivoted end. of the impression arm, and a connection for operating the address plate feeder from the said pivoted end of the impression arm, said connections including an arm extending from the pivot of the impression arm, a shaft on which the impression arm is fixed, a pawl operated by said shaft, and ratchet means for imparting movement from the pawl to the spool shafting, substantially as described.

7. In combination a tame, an impression arm pivotally mounted thereon, a runway for the address plates extending transversely to the plane in which the impression arm oscillates, an endless chain oper ating along the runway, a sprocket wheel for driving the chain, a shaft carrying the sprocket wheel, a shaft extending parallel with the plate feed chain, an arm extending from the pivoted end of the impression arm, beneath the frame, and a cam arm on the parallel shaft operated by said arm at the pivot end of the impression arm, bevel gearing between the shafts, and a pawl and ratchet device to impart a step by step movement to the plate feed chain, substantially as described.

8. In combination a frame, a hand operated impression arm pivotally mounted, a runway for address plates extending transversely of the plane in which the impres sion arm moves, an address plate feed chain operating along the runway and beneath the frame, a connection from the impression arm to the said feed chain for operating the same, including an oscillating carrier operated by said connection, a pawl thereon,

' a ratchet, a shaft on which the ratchet is fixed, and a controller for the pawl to prevent operation of the address plate feeder for certain actions of the impression arm including a ring loosely mounted in relation to the oscillating carrier and supported on the shaft, said ring having a recess to allow the pawl to drop into the ratchet and a portion to hold the pawls from engagement, and a pawl for holding the ring against movement in one direction, said ring being moved in the other direction by frictional contact with the rotary parts, substantially as described.

9. In combination a frame, an impression arm pivotally mounted, a runway for address platesextending at right angles to the plane in which the impression arm oscillates, an endless address plate feeding chain extending along the runway and below the frame, a shaft extending below the frame parallel with the feeding chain, an arm for oscillating said shaft from the pivoted end of the impression arm, a cross shaft, a sprocket wheel on the cross shaft for driving the feed chain, a ratchet on the cross shaft for operating the same, a pawl to engage the ratchet, a carrier for said pawl movable about the cross shaft, gearing between said carrier'and the parallel shaft, and a controller for the pawl to allow or prevent its engagement with the ratchet, said controller being mounted on the cross shaft, and a pawl pivoted beneath the frame and having a handle portion extending outside of said frame whereby the pawl may be thrown into engagement with the controller or removed from such engagement, substantially as described.

10. In combination with the plate feed chain, a sprocket wheel and shaft, a pawl carrier oscillating about the said shaft, a pawl thereon, a ratchet fixed on the shaft engaged by said pawl, a controller ring loosely mounted on the shaft and having a recess to control the pawl, and two sets of teeth, one composed of two teeth and the other of three teeth on the said controller ring, and a shiftable pawl pivoted to the frame for engaging either of said sets of teeth, substantially as described.

11. In combination with the plate feed chain, a sprocket wheel and shaft, a pawl carrier oscillating about the said shaft, a pawl thereon, a ratchet fixed on the shaft engaged by said pawl, a controller ring loosely mounted on the shaft and having a recess to control the pawl, and two sets of teeth, one composed of two teeth and the other of three teeth on the said controller ring, and a shiftable pawl pivoted to the frame for engaging either of said sets of teeth, said controller ring extending into the pawl carrier, substantially as described.

12. In combination in an addressing machine, a frame, a manually operated impression arm, a runway extending along the frame at right angles to the plane in which the impression arm works, a plate feed chain operating along the runway, a sprocket wheel and shaft for operating the feed chain, connections to said shaft from the impression arm for giving the feed chain an automatic feeding movement when the impression arm retracts, a hand operated device for said shaft for operating the feed chain independently of the impression arm, and a feeler or retarding device connected with the said shaft whereby the operator, when operating the feed chain by hand, may

determine the positioning of the address 3* plates, substantially as described.

13. In combination in an addressing ma chine, a frame, a manually operated impression arm, a runway extending along the frame at right angles to the plane in which sion head in line with the impression point the impression arm Works, a plate feed chain operating along the runway, a sprocket wheel and shaft for operating the feed chain, connections to said shaft from the impression arm for giving the feed chain an automatic feeding movement when the impression arm retracts, a hand operated device for said shaft for operating the feed chain independently of the impression arm, and a feeler device on said shaft, substantially as described.

14;. In combination with a frame, an address plate feeder movable along the said frame, an impression arm having an impres- 7 and curving laterally from the impression head, said impression arm being pivotally mounted at its lower rear end, an inking ribbon extending lengthwise of the address plate feeder at the impression point and turned rearwardly at its ends, ribbon spools in axial alinement at the rear of the machine and below the surface of the frame, shafting on which said spools are mounted, a connection from the laterally disposed pivoted end of the impression arm to the address plate feeder, and a connection from the said laterally disposed pivoted end of the impression arm to the ribbon spool shafting, substantially as described.

15. In combination a frame to receive the sheets or articles to be printed, an impression arm having an impression head at its free end, and a handle at such free end for operating said arm, said arm extending laterally from the plane in which the impression head moves, and pivotally mounted at the rear of the table and to one side of the sheet receiving surface thereof leaving said Copies of this patent may be. obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner surface free from front to rear of the table, a runway for individual printing plates extending transversely of the plane in which the impression arm swings, a feeder for the plates operating along the runway, an inking ribbon extending over the runway at the impression point, and having its ends extending rearwardly, ribbon spools, a ribbon spool shaft, a shaft upon which the impression arm is mounted, said last mentioned shaft extending laterally from the pivoted end of said arm and toward the plane in which the impression head swings, and a connection between said last mentioned shaft and the ribbon spool shaft for operating the latter, substantially as described.

16. In combination in an addressing machine, a hand operated impression arm pivotally mounted, having a handle at its free end, a table having a runway for individual address plates, a plate feeder operating along said runway and moving in a plane at right angles to the plane of pivotal movement of the impression arm, a supply hopperfor printing plates at one end of said runway and a receiving receptacle for the printing plates at the other end of said runway which extends straight between them, inking ribbon mechanism, and means for operating both the said individual plate feeder and the inking ribbon mechanism from the pivoted end of the impression arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ULYSSES GRANT LEE.

Witnesses:

Mrs. H. T. PATTON, Conn H. LINK.

of Patents,

Washington, D. 6. 

